BATMAN:
MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN ($25) is an entertaining direct-to-video
animated release; however, the film isnít as dark and moody as this fan
of The Dark Knight would have liked. Perhaps, BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF
THE JOKERTHE ORIGINAL, UNCUT VERSION, spoiled me, and I was
expecting something a bit more brooding and twisted this time round. Still
the program is completely solid and provides superhero animation fans with
a good deal of action. The plot of BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN
finds The Caped Crusader having to deal with a new vigilante in Gotham
City- one that is mimicking his identity. While Batman has always drawn
the line at taking the lives of criminals, the newly arrived Batwoman
doesnít seem bothered by the thought of stepping over that very same
line. With his own reputation on the line, it falls to Batman to figure
out who the Batwoman is and what she is up to. BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE
BATWOMAN features the vocal talents of Kevin Conroy, Tara Strong,
Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings, David Ogden Stiers, Hector Elizondo,
Kelly Ripa, Kyra Sedgwick, John Vernon and Mathew Valencia.

Warner
Home Video has made BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN available on
DVD in a 1.37:1 full screen presentation; although, you would think by
this time all such productions would be formatted at 1.78:1 for wide
screen high definition television compatibility. The 4:3 presentation
looks absolutely terrific, displaying a clean, crisp animated image.
Colors are strongly rendered and completely stable. Blacks appear highly
accurate and the whites are pure. The elements used to master the film to
video appear virtually pristine. Digital compression artifacts are always
well concealed.

The
Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack isnít particularly aggressive,
especially where the surrounds are concerned, with the sound design giving
the general impression of a mildly upgraded version of Dolby Surround.
Channel separation is good across the forward soundstage, with the rears
providing ambient sound and musical fill. Fidelity is very good and the
voices are distinct and nicely recorded. The bass channel proves to be
more than solid for this type of material. A French surround track is also
provided, as are English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as some nice extras.
Chase Me is a neat short animated film featuring Batman and
Catwoman. Behind the Mystery is a nine-minute program that
features interviews with the behind-the-scenes personnel and vocal talent.
Batman: P.O.V. is a ten-minute look at story development and
character design for the feature. The Making Of A Scene runs
two minutes and features vocal director Andrea Romano, who briefly
explains how the animation production process works and how the final film
is put together. Bat Cave Profiles offers background info on
the characters, while Bat Gadgets profiles the technology of
The Caped Crusader. Promos for other superhero DVD close out the extras.

BATMAN:
MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN is an entertaining direct-to-video program
that is perfectly suited to teen viewers. However, as an older fan of
Batman, I would have preferred something a bit darker in tone. As for the
DVD, it looks great for a 4:3 animated program and sounds just fine. If
you are a fan of the TV series that inspired this latest direct-to-video
release, youíll want to investigate BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN.